This last week I´ve been a little distracted, not gonna lie, a talk in sacrament meeting Sunday helped me come to the following conclusion:
"Servir sin pensar en lo que va a venir."
Missionaries are always talking about what they want to do AFTER the mission. Always, without question, something is going to be said about plans for AFTER the mission. School, work, and especially girls. I´ve heard it said that no one talks more about their future wives, and at no time does anyone talk about their future wives, than a missionary in the mission field. And I can testify of that, sin duda. =P
But that´s what was bothering me throughout the week. It was sitting in the back of my mind when we weren´t teaching, until finally the answer to my prayers came to me Sunday. Serve without thought of what is to come. What happens afterwards is really just the whip cream and the cherry topping to the desert I´m making right now in the mission. I´m here to help people, to teach them, and hope that in one way or another they´re lives are changed for the better when it´s my time to leave. What happens after this isn´t all that important right now. Not to me anyways. This is the Lord´s time, and from September 24, 2008 to whatever the day is when I go home, what I do needs to be focused in what the Lord needs of me. When I´m released and no longer a missionary, THEN I can think about how to use MY time.
...Yeah I´m off the soap box...just had to let that out. =P
Sunday was full of surprises. Kenia, the lady were helping to plan her wedding and baptism, asked me to bless her baby. At first I was kind of in shock, because I´ve NEVER heard of a missionary giving a baby blessing. The bishop called Pres. Gálvez and asked if it was okay, and President gave the okay. So, I gave my first baby blessing Sunday. Tuesday night we´re having a Family Home Evening with Kenia, her soon-to-be husband Sergio, and the Baker Family from the states (Sister Baker grew up in Moscow). We just need to finalize the wedding plans and have the baptismal date solid, and then I might be able to relax some. =P
I don´t have much else to report on this week, sorry. I´ll try to make more exiciting things happen this week so I have something to write about. =P The work continues, I continue to climb hill after hill, all the while enjoying the time I have here. The ward is planning a Halloween activity, buuuuut because of the influence the Catholic Church has in this country EVERYONE thinks Halloween is a Satanic holiday that shouldn´t be celebrated. And seeing how 60% of the ward consists of gringos, everyone´s just like "Yeah, Halloween. Candy and costumes. What´s so bad about that?"
We´ll see what happens there. =P
I love you all and I hope everyone has a great week. Take care and I hope to hear from ya next week! Ciao!
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
Monday, October 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Not P-Day
Sounds like lfe continues back home. That house has changed so much since we first moved in NO ONE would believe it´s the same house as what it was. But change is good. As I´ve said before, I thrive on change. Life´s just more exciting that way.
Today we had a Zone Conference, so no P-Day for us, just the chance to write home and then it´s back to work. It was a great conference though, one of the best I´ve had in the mission so far. Elder Don R. Clarke of the Seventy came and spoke to us. I love it when general authorities come a speak to us, because what we see watching Conference is nothing like how they are in person. Elder Clarke was hilarious, he really knew how to catch our attention and keep the ball rolling. It was a great conference, and I have a whole list of things to try out and change to help build the kingdom in Escazú. When I introduced myself to Elder and Sister Clarke, Sister Clarke asked me where I was from (in spanish of course). When I answered from Idaho she replied "Elder you´re suprising us!" I love it when that happens. I´ve been with latino comps long enough that I finally have a bit of an accent in my spanish, so it´s not hard to convince people I´m not a gringo. =P
This week Elder Muñoz and I have been focusing on one of our investigadors in specific. Her name his Kenia, and she lives with her menos activo boyfriend Sergio. They have a son whose a little over a year old. Muñoz and his last companion had been working with her for a few months, but trying to convince Sergio to get married was out of the question. POR FIN, Muñoz and I have gotten him on board and they´re working for marraige. Wednesday I had an idea so we found an internet cafe and quickly typed out some "applied scripture". We´re so close, we just need to sit down with BOTH of them and talk about when and how this is going to happen. I´m hoping we can plan the wedding date for the first Saturday of November, and have Kenia´s baptism on the second Saturday. Any prayers offered would be especially helpful. =D
I also realized I´ve walked so far and climbed so many hills in the last year, I might as well walk everywhere when I get home. I literally climb a MOUNTAIN every day here, and by some miracle it doesn´t phase me. Missionary endurance. Gotta love it.
Be expecting an email soon from a family here in Escazú. There´s a gringo family here, the Dorsey Family, who had us over for dinner the other day, took a picture, and Hna. Dorsey plans on emailing you soon. They´re a really cool family. Hna. Dorsey served a mission in Honduras, and Hno. Dorsey in Spain. Really cool family, really funny too. =P
Alright well that´s all I have for the week. I hope all is well back home and everyone is doing fine. No worries about me, I´m over the sinus infection and all that jazz. The cough is still with me, as usual, but otherwise I´m back in action. Now, Elder Muñoz got hit with a pretty tough cold, he was bed-ridden for most of Saturday. Poor guy.
Take care and have a great week. I love you all and I´ll talk to ya hoy en ocho. Oh yeah, this is great, guess who has a vacation home in my area??? Begins with a Chuck and ends in a Norris. I´ll be sending fotos in a few weeks. =P
¡PURA VIDA!
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
Today we had a Zone Conference, so no P-Day for us, just the chance to write home and then it´s back to work. It was a great conference though, one of the best I´ve had in the mission so far. Elder Don R. Clarke of the Seventy came and spoke to us. I love it when general authorities come a speak to us, because what we see watching Conference is nothing like how they are in person. Elder Clarke was hilarious, he really knew how to catch our attention and keep the ball rolling. It was a great conference, and I have a whole list of things to try out and change to help build the kingdom in Escazú. When I introduced myself to Elder and Sister Clarke, Sister Clarke asked me where I was from (in spanish of course). When I answered from Idaho she replied "Elder you´re suprising us!" I love it when that happens. I´ve been with latino comps long enough that I finally have a bit of an accent in my spanish, so it´s not hard to convince people I´m not a gringo. =P
This week Elder Muñoz and I have been focusing on one of our investigadors in specific. Her name his Kenia, and she lives with her menos activo boyfriend Sergio. They have a son whose a little over a year old. Muñoz and his last companion had been working with her for a few months, but trying to convince Sergio to get married was out of the question. POR FIN, Muñoz and I have gotten him on board and they´re working for marraige. Wednesday I had an idea so we found an internet cafe and quickly typed out some "applied scripture". We´re so close, we just need to sit down with BOTH of them and talk about when and how this is going to happen. I´m hoping we can plan the wedding date for the first Saturday of November, and have Kenia´s baptism on the second Saturday. Any prayers offered would be especially helpful. =D
I also realized I´ve walked so far and climbed so many hills in the last year, I might as well walk everywhere when I get home. I literally climb a MOUNTAIN every day here, and by some miracle it doesn´t phase me. Missionary endurance. Gotta love it.
Be expecting an email soon from a family here in Escazú. There´s a gringo family here, the Dorsey Family, who had us over for dinner the other day, took a picture, and Hna. Dorsey plans on emailing you soon. They´re a really cool family. Hna. Dorsey served a mission in Honduras, and Hno. Dorsey in Spain. Really cool family, really funny too. =P
Alright well that´s all I have for the week. I hope all is well back home and everyone is doing fine. No worries about me, I´m over the sinus infection and all that jazz. The cough is still with me, as usual, but otherwise I´m back in action. Now, Elder Muñoz got hit with a pretty tough cold, he was bed-ridden for most of Saturday. Poor guy.
Take care and have a great week. I love you all and I´ll talk to ya hoy en ocho. Oh yeah, this is great, guess who has a vacation home in my area??? Begins with a Chuck and ends in a Norris. I´ll be sending fotos in a few weeks. =P
¡PURA VIDA!
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
Monday, October 5, 2009
WHAT A CONFERENCE!
Woohoo! I´m glad the package got to you guys alright! That was really nice of the guy who offered to send it to you guys, I owe him an ever greater thanks because I wasn´t the one to put the chocolate covered passion fruit in there, that had to be him!
Well, I forgot to mention this last week, but last Sunday my annual sinus infection decided to kick my butt. Sunday I could feel it starting, Monday I just had a sore throat, but then from Tuesday on I was dead. It was a miserable week. I still have meds from when I was in the MTC, but sadly those expired at the end of September...so yeah. My nose is still running but that horrible cough I always get is finally faded and I don´t feel like a zombie anymore. Thankfully.
Wednesday we met with our Ward Mission Leader, Rand Layton. We´re going to start planning a Hawaiian Luhau (spelling???) for November. We need to get the members off their lazy butts and get them excited about the work, because the church IS missionary work! Rand is way cool, I´m really glad I have the chance to work with him. We´re also planning on having a capacitation meeting about Preach My Gospel for the members, because none of them know anything about it. And since it´s the literal manual of missionary work, they really need to know about it. Everything we do is because Preach My Gospel says we to do it, so it´s that much more important that the members understand it as well. I´ve put my plans together, since Elder Muñoz and I will be the ones leading the capacitation. I´m actually using part of my internet time today to throw together a Power Point Presentation. I figure a half hour should be enough time to write home. =D
I´m really glad you got to see Conference, Pres. Gálvez had all of us missionaries in EVERY session of Conference. I think that might be because we won´t have P-Day next week due to Zone Conference. =P
But I really enjoyed every talk during Conference, especially Elder Holland´s testimony. Everyone of us missionaries were like "Oh my gosh...that´s testifying with POWER!" I hope Dad and Logan had the chance to go to the Priesthood Session Saturday night. If not you should read over those talks when you can with Logan when they´re available. All in all Conference was amazing. I received a lot of answers to prayers and guidance about what we can do for some investigators we have. Really incredible.
Oh yeah, I don´t know if I mentioned this before. In my zone is an Elder Squirres from Nampa area. It´s good to have more Idaho blood in the mission, we´re an endangered species right now. =P
Well I don´t have much else to report on for the week, with me being sick nothing exciting happened. Just working in the rain. Coughing a lot. Losing my voice. That sort of thing. =P No really, I´m fine now. Happy and halfway healthy. =D
Tell Ashley I say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! And that I found a T-Shirt I´m sending her for Christmas. I´m pretty sure she´ll like it.
Well family, I´m wet and cold from the rain. I forgot my umbrella today and we made the mistake of hanging out outside... =( I hope you all have a great week and I´ll be waiting to hear from you next week. Tell everyone I say hi and that I´m lovin life, as per usual. I love you all!
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
P.S.- I bet Prima Veronica was SUPER excited about the temple announcement for Concepcion! I was freaking out when President Monson announced it!
Well, I forgot to mention this last week, but last Sunday my annual sinus infection decided to kick my butt. Sunday I could feel it starting, Monday I just had a sore throat, but then from Tuesday on I was dead. It was a miserable week. I still have meds from when I was in the MTC, but sadly those expired at the end of September...so yeah. My nose is still running but that horrible cough I always get is finally faded and I don´t feel like a zombie anymore. Thankfully.
Wednesday we met with our Ward Mission Leader, Rand Layton. We´re going to start planning a Hawaiian Luhau (spelling???) for November. We need to get the members off their lazy butts and get them excited about the work, because the church IS missionary work! Rand is way cool, I´m really glad I have the chance to work with him. We´re also planning on having a capacitation meeting about Preach My Gospel for the members, because none of them know anything about it. And since it´s the literal manual of missionary work, they really need to know about it. Everything we do is because Preach My Gospel says we to do it, so it´s that much more important that the members understand it as well. I´ve put my plans together, since Elder Muñoz and I will be the ones leading the capacitation. I´m actually using part of my internet time today to throw together a Power Point Presentation. I figure a half hour should be enough time to write home. =D
I´m really glad you got to see Conference, Pres. Gálvez had all of us missionaries in EVERY session of Conference. I think that might be because we won´t have P-Day next week due to Zone Conference. =P
But I really enjoyed every talk during Conference, especially Elder Holland´s testimony. Everyone of us missionaries were like "Oh my gosh...that´s testifying with POWER!" I hope Dad and Logan had the chance to go to the Priesthood Session Saturday night. If not you should read over those talks when you can with Logan when they´re available. All in all Conference was amazing. I received a lot of answers to prayers and guidance about what we can do for some investigators we have. Really incredible.
Oh yeah, I don´t know if I mentioned this before. In my zone is an Elder Squirres from Nampa area. It´s good to have more Idaho blood in the mission, we´re an endangered species right now. =P
Well I don´t have much else to report on for the week, with me being sick nothing exciting happened. Just working in the rain. Coughing a lot. Losing my voice. That sort of thing. =P No really, I´m fine now. Happy and halfway healthy. =D
Tell Ashley I say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! And that I found a T-Shirt I´m sending her for Christmas. I´m pretty sure she´ll like it.
Well family, I´m wet and cold from the rain. I forgot my umbrella today and we made the mistake of hanging out outside... =( I hope you all have a great week and I´ll be waiting to hear from you next week. Tell everyone I say hi and that I´m lovin life, as per usual. I love you all!
Tu Hijo,
Elder Nunie
P.S.- I bet Prima Veronica was SUPER excited about the temple announcement for Concepcion! I was freaking out when President Monson announced it!
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